CompTIA has
introduced a new business-level credential for managed service providers to
prove their use of IT best practices for service delivery and customer
interaction. The CompTIA MSP Partners Trustmark certification is designed to
give customers peace of mind that they’re not signing on with fly-by-night IT
operators.
“The CompTIA
MSP Partners Trustmark serves as a signpost for organizations seeking a
competent and qualified managed IT services provider. This Trustmark identifies
managed services providers (MSPs) who’ve made a commitment to serving customers
in a manner that’s based on the best practices of our industry,” Hamilton
explained. “The credential identifies those managed services providers that
demonstrate a high level of competency, adhere to prescribed industry best
practices and use processes that allow them to operate in a customer-centric
fashion.”
CompTIA says
the requirements laid out by the new certification came from several years of
research and collaboration with industry experts in the MSP market. To receive the CompTIA MSP Partners
Trustmark, an MSP must complete an online application providing details on
their internal organizational structure, including human resources, financial,
risk and business management practices; technology tools and systems they
utilize; standard operating procedures; and IT service specific activities
they’re engaged in, for network, server or end-user devices.
Additionally,
they have to agree to a code of conduct and provide customer references. This
code requires a commitment to conducting advertising, service delivery and
overall business practices in an ethical manner. Tenets of the code call on
MSPs to:
• Maintain
a certain level of ethical behavior in its day-to-day operations.
• Obey all regional, national and international laws.
• Agree to protect the assets and intellectual property of all customers,
ensuring their well-being in all business decisions.
• Write contracts in clear language, including the expectation of all
parties involved.
• Follow fair pricing practices.
• Represent all products and services truthfully and responsibly.
“The managed
IT services deliverable has gained broad acceptance over the last several years,
and many MSPs have adopted the model and been extremely successful with it,”
says Ted Roller, vice president of channel development for Intronis.
"(The) credential that acts as both a best practices certification for the
channel and an industry benchmark for the consumer. The end result is a higher
level of competency, trust and value within the industry.”